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A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills
ABSTRACT English as well as native speaker English as an important medium of international communication is every part of the world It is undeniable that English is a global language especially in this internationalization Amongst English skills, communication skills can be considered the most important ones However, during the learning and communication process, learners also make some mistakes that they need to overcome to improve and master this skills Therefore, I would like to discuss the common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills And this is also the topic of my graduation thesis Data used for analysis in this thesis were gathered through survey questionnaires, interviews and analyzed by both qualitative and quantitative methods Sixty freshmen in the English department were selected to become study participants.The survey is conducted with the first-year students of the English Faculty to collect survey data I hope that this study will bring students awareness of the common errors in learning communication skills and refer to some useful solutions that will help them improve their communication skills ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although doing study in a limited time, I received a lot of enthusiastic help from so many people to complete this graduation paper I greatly appreciate these enthusiastic supports First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and profound thanks to Mrs Luong Thi Minh Phuong M.A, one of the enthusiastic lectures of the English Faculty at TMU and my supervisor Thanks to the thoughtful guidance, I finished the graduation thesis in the most complete way Without any help from her, I can hardly finish this graduation thesis Secondly, I am sincerely thankful to all the first-year students in the English Faculty who helped me a lot in this study They helped me complete the survey and provided me with important data from the questionnaire so that I could analyze and provide the best suggestions for my research Last but not least, I want to thank my family and my close friends for supporting me They helped me to be more spiritual and create good conditions for me to complete my graduation paper well I wish to thank all who have kindly given their advice with source materials during writing I know my graduation paper still has mistakes due to my shortcomings I would like to receive your comments, suggestions and corrections for the perfect of my own graduation paper Hanoi, April 15, 2021 Student Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS N o Terms English meaning Vietnamese meaning M.A TMU Master of Art Thuongmai University Thạc Sỹ Khoa học - Xã hội Trường Đại Học Thương HSBC Mại Hongkong and Shanghai Ngân hàng Hồng Kông NGOs Banking Corporation Thượng Hải Non - Governmental Tổ chức phi phủ VNU Organization Vietnam Et al University And others National Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà Nội Và người khác LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1.1 Rationale English is now a global language Among hundreds of different languages, the world has chosen English as a means of communication so that everyone can understand each other Vietnam is also increasingly developing and popularizing the English language as an inevitable need It is the main language used on the Internet, business and many others fields Learning English includes many skills, in which English communication skills is an important part This study deals with fundamental errors in freshman English communication skills and a number of solutions for improvement As a four-year student in English department, I understand the difficulties that freshman students face when communicating in English They have few opportunities to practice communicating with foreigners and still have many difficulties in English communication That is why I choose the subject of study as: "A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills" The author hope that through this research topic, I will point out some common errors in communicating in English and offer some solutions to improve this skill in the best way 1.2 Previous of studies It is a fact that English has become an international language That is the reason why a lot of researchers and scholars conduct research and analyze about problems and challenges encountered by English learners in terms of English communication skills There have been lots of international and local studies which have been done recently relating to English learning 1.2.1 International studies In relation to communication skills, Alqahtani Mofareh A, English Department, Civilian Studies, King Khaled Military Academy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia conducted a study on: "Difficulties Facing Students in English Language Conversation'' (2019) This thesis addresses the poor language proficiency of English language students, particularly in terms of their conversational skills and/or ability to achieve the desired standards of fluency in either the classroom environment or public sphere It aims to identify the inability of students to learn English language conversation skills accurately, the factors behind the difficulties faced by students seeking to communicate in English and the practical solutions which enable students to master English communication skills The results of the study demonstrate that the difficulties and challenges faced by students when speaking in English such as the fear of making errors, imprecise understanding of English vocabulary and grammar, and incorrect word and/or sentence articulation To fully investigate this issue, a quantitative survey instrument containing multiple questions was undertaken in addition to a number of interviews with a random sample of students and teachers in order to elicit the main student challenge in speaking English To this end, the researcher elucidated the research problem, importance, objectives, hypotheses, and methodologies, as well as drawing conclusions Another study on communication skills was implemented by Panida Karachedee, Faculty of Education, Burapha University: " Need analysis for English communication skills of employees at HSBC in Thailand" ( January 2017) The study analyzed aspects of communication skills, with the objective to outline the needs and problems of English communication of the staff, and offer appropriate methods to improve communication skills in English By a quantitative survey instrument containing multiple questions was undertaken, the study demonstrates that listening skill was the English communication skill that Thai employees at HSBC in Thailand thought was the most serious problem The unfamiliarity of the foreigners’ accent and pronunciation was considered as the most serious problem of listening skills Besides, The inability to use correct grammar in communication seemed to be a problem of Thai employees at HSBC in Thailand Finally, the research has clarified the problem and devised a strategy to improve communication skills including internal training and taking English courses at a language academy 1.2.2 Domestic studies The study: " A study on how to improve English communication skills of receptionists in Muong Thanh grand Ha Noi hotel" (2018) by Tran Thuy Dung of English Faculty, Thuong Mai University The aim of this study is to identify problems in English communication and find out some appropriate solutions to improve English communication skills of receptionist in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel in which, the study focuses on finding the reality of the staffs in Reception Department 's using English in communicate with foreigns guests and giving them the suggestions for better communication The expectation is that the receptionists at MTGH hotel can communicate in English confidently and fluently to achieve high efficiency at work Besides, another study “English communication skills of students with foreigners - proposing solutions to join NGOs” (2008), the author selected English major students from four typical universities in Hanoi: VNU University of Languages and International Studies,Vietnam National University, Foreign Trade University and Hanoi University of Science and Technology Foreigners mentioned in the study are good at English communication skills and qualifications, most of whom are from Europe, Australia and North America using English as their mother language Research methodology used in the article is investigation, interview and observation The research results show that when students communicate with English speakers in different countries, the most common errors they encounter are intonation, accent and regional culture 1.3 Aims of the study My research is to find out the frequently encountered mistakes that freshmen students of English Faculty at TMU encounter in their English communication, and find solutions to help them improve their English communication skills My research aims at the following basic goals: ● Analyze the situation of communication in English by first-year students of English Faculty at TMU and the common errors encountered by themselves ● Propose solutions to improve English communication skills for Faculty of English freshmen of TMU 1.4 Research question In order to accomplish the above mentioned aims, the study targets at finding the answer to the following questions - What is the attitude of first-year students of English Faculty at TMU towards the oral English communication skills? - What are the common errors that the freshmen of English Faculty at TMU encounter when communicating in English? - How to improve the oral English communication skills of freshmen students of English Faculty at TMU? 1.5 Research subject The research subject is to find out the common errors faced by English - major freshman at Thuong Mai university in communication in English and offer some solutions to improve this skill in the best way 1.6 Scope of the study Research topics are conducted on the scope of Thuong Mai University The research focuses on the freshmen in the English Faculty at TMU to point out their common mistakes when communicating in English and offer some solutions to improve this skill in the best way The study is conducted in the second semester of the academic year 2020-2021 Due to time constraints, this study carries out about 60 randomly selected students 1.7 Research methodology In this study, the author decided to use the quantitative and qualitative methods The data and information has been collected from two sources: the questionnaire and the interview A questionnaire is set up including both open-ended and closed-ended questions, allowing the respondents to give their opinions and views in the most convenient way Part one reveals of the student’s background and basic information and part two of consists some questions relating to common errors and the solution to improve the oral communication in English The interview includes three questions to dip deeper into the issue 1.8 Organization of the study This study consists of four main parts: • Chapter 1: Overview of the study General research topics include the reason for selecting this study, provide previous research topics, aims of the study, identify research subjects, scope of the study, research methodology and structure of this study • Chapter 2: Theoretical background This chapter gives an overview of what communication is, types of communication, the importance of English communication skills and English communication errors Thereby, the author finds the common errors that English learners encounter and find out the solutions to improve • Chapter 3: Data analysis and research findings This chapter focuses on analyzing research results and it is also the major part of the study Through the survey, the author learns the views of students about the common errors in communicating in English with foreigners and the solutions to improve the oral communication in English The figures which were collected from the study would be shown and analyzed in this chapter This is the crucial part of all the studies • Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions This chapter proposes and suggests some solutions to overcome common errors in oral communicating in English in general and the first-year students of the English Faculty at Thuongmai University in particular 10 CONCLUSION Conclusion Common English communication is to apply in practice Learning English communication does not require too much effort to memorize, but to be able to confidently communicate in English, it is very important to create a habit of maintaining daily practice Because everyone cannot learn once and remember forever Therefore regarding learning a foreign language, it is indispensable to maintain practice every day However, in order to have absolute motivation to persistently practice listening and speaking English regularly, the first step, we must define our goal: What is learning English for? You must understand clearly that you learn to exchange jobs in a foreign enterprise, to work with foreigners, to travel, or to study abroad Only when you find yourself a practical goal, then you can find out the most effective English learning method In this graduation paper, the author has consulted a number of English books and websites to explore what factors learners of English consider important, the common errors when communicating in English with foreigners An overview of communication in chapter II, the author gave them a general understanding of the definition, the importance, and aspect of communication and general errors when practicing English communication A questionnaire was used to discover their attitudes about English communication skill and analyze the difficulties of students Descriptive statistics and principal component analysis were done in chapter III and this result indicated that students are facing up many errors to enhance their English communication skill with foreigners When it have errors of communicating in English, there are some popular ones as lack of intonation, using words with the wrong context, lack of calm when not understanding what foreigner says and lack of confidence Hence, the solutions for those errors are finding a native friend to communicate with, taking a communication English course and cultivating vocabulary Because of the limitation of time, of knowledge as well as of experience, mistakes in this paper are unavoidable Because of that, I would like to receive 41 feedback from my teachers and friends Once again, I would like to express many of my thanks to my supervisor Mrs Luong Thi Minh Phuong for her wholehearted help in my study and also to all my teachers, my friends and my family members, who have encouraged me to accomplish this graduation paper Limitations After completing the survey of students’ common mistakes when communicating in English and finding solutions to improve their skills in chapter III, the author analyzed and pointed out the common they are having and solutions to improve However, there are several limitations in the study that should be noted Firstly, there are limitations regarding time and how to conduct a survey Due to encountering unexpected objective factors, the author could not meet students directly to proceed the questionnaire and conduct face-to-face interviews with more people Besides, in this study, the author just can evaluate and give some reasons which led to the weakness of students in oral communication in English In spite of the mentioned limitations, the author wishes that this research will contribute to the better situation of oral communication in English in English Faculty at Thuongmai University Some suggestions for further research Due to the limited scope and duration of the study, the topic cannot fully exploit all aspects of the problem Therefore, here are some research proposals for future topics to learn more about this issue Firstly, errors are formed from many different factors, different aspects and it directly affects learning or anything The researcher can focus on analyzing a certain aspect, such as focusing on subjective difficulties or objective difficulties Thus, readers will have a better insight into the difficulties in communication in English with foreigners Secondly, further studies should collect more than one assessment to affirm correct research findings as the result makes the study more persuasive Thirdly, further studies should be conducted in a longer period and set up specific plans for conducting To sum up, the author hopes that there are other opportunities to continue the study on other aspects of this subject to help people have good communication English skills All orientations are just for reference and 42 suggestion so that we can have more research direction and there are more useful solutions to overcome errors in English communication skills Ending this part will close the content of this study The purpose of the study is to enable them to understand the problem, their current situation and have a serious plan to improve their English communication skills 43 REFERENCES Alqahtani Mofareh A (2019) "Difficulties Facing Students in English Language Conversation'' (2019) Anderson, A & Lynch, T (1988) Listening New York: Oxford University Press Horwitz Bovee (2012) The business communication Brian Nuckols (1998) Communication in the Real World Brown, J D (2001) Using Survey in Language Programs Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress Burns, A (1997) Focus on language in the communicative classroom In G Brindley (Ed.), The second language curriculum in action Sydney: National Centre for English Language Teaching and Learning Department of English Theory - Thuongmai university (2020) Principles of business communication Page 1,2,3 Dwyer, J 2005, Hybels, S., & Weaver, H.R (1992) Communicate effectively 10 Harold Janis (2008) Communicating Effectivel New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc 11 Horwitz, E K., Horwitz, M.B., & Cope, J.A (1986) Foreign language classroom anxiety The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132 12 Latha, B M (2012) Teaching English as a Second Language: Factors Affecting Learning Speaking Skills International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), 1(7), 1-6 13 Levine, D R., & Adelman, M B (1993) Beyond language cross-cultural communication 14 Markey & Gass (2005) Using Questionnaires in Qualitative Human Geography 15 MacIntyre, P D., & Gardner, R C (1989) Anxiety and second-language learning: Toward a theoretical clarification Language Learning, 39(2), 251–275 44 16 Nguyen Quang (2008) Cross-Cultural Communication Vietnam National University-Hanoi, College of Foreign languages 17 Panida Karachedee ( January 2017) " Need analysis for English communication skills of employees at HSBC in Thailand" 18 R Prabavathi and P C Nagasubramani (2018) "Effective oral and written communication" 19 Tran Thuy Dung (2018)." A study on how to improve English communication skills of receptionists in Muong Thanh grand Ha Noi hotel" 20 Wilkins (in Thornbury, 2002) How to Teach Vocabulary England Pearson Education Limite 45 APPENDIX I QUESTIONNAIRE (English Version) I am Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang, the final year student at Thuongmai University This survey questionnaire is designed for my graduation paper namely: “A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of Thuong Mai University and how to improve their communication skills ” To complete these questions, please choose the answers among the items in a checklist or express your idea in the blanks Your assistance in responding to the following questions will help me a lot with the study Please answer the question sincerely as this ensures the success of the study The data collected are used in the research paper only, and not for any commercial purposes Thank you for your cooperation! Part 1: Student's English background information Question 1: How long have you learned English? □ 1- years □ 3- years □ 5- years □ More than years Question 2: How often you use English to communicate? □ Often □ Sometimes □ Rarely Question 3: What you think about the importance of English communication skills □ Completely unimportant □ Important □ Unimportant □ Neutral □ Extremely important Question 4: How you feel when communicating in English? □ Excited □ Fun □ Shy 46 Question 5: What locations help you connect with foreigners to practice communication skills? (More than answer) □ Social media: Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, etc □ School □ English course □ Ho Guom □ Your own methods: ……………………………………………………… Question 6: Do you think that methods work well in improving your communication skills? □ Yes □ No Please specify the reason why you think that methods improve or not improve your communication skills ………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… Part 2: Common English communication skill errors and strategies to improve English communication skills Question 7: What are your common mistakes when you communicate in English with foreigners? Please indicate your level of consent to the statement below with the convention as follows: Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never 47 Mistake Pronunciation Ending sound is not pronounced Emphasize incorrect word stress Do not have intonation Vocabulary Use words with the wrong context Grammar Focus too much on grammar Talk too fast Communication Lack of calm when not understanding culture what foreigner says Do not look directly into foreigner's eyes while speaking Self - confidence Lack of confidence Use "uhm”, “ah" too much 48 Question 8: In your opinion, which are the main factors affecting oral English communication errors? Please indicate your level of consent to the statement below with the convention as follows: Reasons Limitation of vocabulary knowledge Be afraid of making pronunciation and grammar mistakes Lack of knowledge about communication cultural with foreigner Lack of professional environment to speak Lazy in practicing speaking English with native speaker Worried about making mistakes and fearful of criticism Question 9: Which solutions you choose to improve oral communication skills in English with foreigners? □ Improve pronunciation and listening skill □ Cultivate vocabulary □ Learn about communication cultures □ Seeking foreign friends □ Participate in English communication courses □ Your own method (Please specify): ………………………………………… You can tick more than one answer Question 10: Are the solutions you have applied effective in improving your communication skills? □ Yes □ No 49 INTERVIEW Question 1: Why are English communication skills important to you? Question 2: How often you use English to communicate? (If she/he says sometime or rarely) Why you sometimes/rarely use English in communication? Question 3: What error you often encounter when communicating English that you find it most difficult to overcome? Question 4: What you ofen to improve your oral English communication skills? 50 PHỤ LỤC II CÂU HỎI NGHIÊN CỨU (Bản Tiếng Việt) Mình Nguyễn Thị Quỳnh Trang, sinh viên năm cuối trường Đại học Thương Mại Bộ câu hỏi khảo sát thiết kế cho báo tốt nghiệp với tên gọi: “Nghiên cứu lỗi kỹ giao tiếp tiếng Anh thường gặp sinh viên năm Khoa tiếng Anh trường Đại học Thượng Mai cách cải thiện kỹ giao tiếp họ” Để hoàn thành câu hỏi này, vui lòng chọn câu trả lời số mục danh sách kiểm tra thể ý tưởng bạn vào chỗ trống Sự hỗ trợ bạn việc trả lời câu hỏi sau giúp tơi nhiều việc nghiên cứu Vui lịng trả lời câu hỏi cách chân thành điều đảm bảo thành công nghiên cứu Dữ liệu thu thập được sử dụng tài liệu nghiên cứu khơng cho mục đích thương mại Cảm ơn bạn hợp tác bạn! Phần 1: Kiến thức tảng Tiếng Anh sinh viên Xin đánh dấu tick(s)(√) để chọn phương án hợp lý cho câu hỏi đây: Câu hỏi 1: Bạn học tiếng Anh bao lâu? □ – năm □ – năm □ – năm □ năm Câu hỏi: Bạn có thường sử dụng Tiếng Anh để giao tiếp không? □ Thường xuyên □ Đôi □ Hiếm Câu hỏi 3: Bạn nghĩ tầm quan trọng kỹ giao tiếp tiếng Anh? □ Hồn tồn khơng quan trọng □ Trung lập trọng □ Quan trọng □ Cực kì quan trọng Câu hỏi 4: Bạn cảm thấy giao tiếp tiếng Anh? □ Hứng thú □ Vui vẻ □ Ngại 51 □ Không quan Câu hỏi 5: Địa điểm giúp bạn kết nối với người nước để rèn luyện kỹ giao tiếp? (Nhiều câu trả lời) □ Phương tiện truyền thông xã hội: Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, v.v □ Trường học □ Khóa học tiếng Anh □ Hồ Gươm □ Ý kiến khác: ……………………………………………………………… Câu hỏi 6: Bạn có nghĩ phương pháp có hiệu việc cải thiện kỹ giao tiếp bạn? □ Có □ Khơng Vui lịng viết lý mà bạn cho phương kháp mà bạn áp dụng có khơng hiệu việc giúp bạn cải thiện kỹ giao tiếp tiếng Anh ………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… Phần 2: Các lỗi kỹ giao tiếp tiếng Anh thường gặp giải pháp để cải thiện kỹ giao tiếp tiếng Anh Câu hỏi 7: Những lỗi bạn thường mắc phải giao tiếp tiếng Anh với người nước ngồi gì? Vui lịng cho biết mức độ đồng ý bạn mục với quy ước sau: Luôn Thường xuyên Đôi Hiếm Không 52 bao Lỗi sai Phát âm Không phát âm âm cuối Nhấn trọng âm khơng xác Khơng có ngữ điệu Từ vựng Sử dụng từ vựng sai ngữ cảnh Ngữ pháp Tập trung nhiều vào ngữ pháp Nói q nhanh Văn hóa giao Thiếu bình tĩnh khơng hiểu người nước tiếp ngồi nói Khơng nhìn thẳng vào mắt người nước ngồi nói Sự tự tin Thiếu tự tin Sử dụng “Uhm”, “Ah” nhiều 53 Câu hỏi 8: Theo anh / chị, yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến lỗi giao tiếp tiếng Anh miệng gì? Vui lịng cho biết mức độ đồng ý bạn mục với quy ước sau: Lí Hạn chế vốn từ vựng Sợ mắc lỗi phát âm ngữ pháp Thiếu kiến thức văn hóa giao tiếp với người nước ngồi Thiếu mơi trường chun nghiệp để nói Lười luyện nói tiếng Anh với người ngữ Lo lắng việc mắc lỗi sợ bị trích Câu hỏi 9: Bạn chọn giải pháp để nâng cao kỹ giao tiếp miệng tiếng Anh với người nước ngoài? □ Cải thiện kỹ nghe phát âm □ Trau dồi vốn từ vựng □ Tìm hiểu văn hóa giao tiếp □ Tìm kiếm bạn bè nước ngồi □ Tham gia khóa học tiếng anh giao tiếp □ Phương pháp riêng bạn (Vui lòng ghi rõ): ………………………………… Bạn đánh dấu vào nhiều câu trả lời Câu hỏi 10: Các giải pháp bạn áp dụng có hiệu việc cải thiện kỹ giao tiếp khơng? □ Có □ Không PHỎNG VẤN Câu hỏi 1: Tại kỹ năng giao tiếp tiếng Anh lại quan trọng đối với bạn? 54 Câu hỏi 2: Bạn thường sử dụng tiếng Anh để giao tiếp như thế nào? (Nếu cô ấy / anh âý nói hoặc hiếm khi) Tại bạn sử dụng tiếng Anh giao tiếp? Câu hỏi 3: Lỗi bạn thường gặp giao tiếp tiếng Anh mà bạn cảm thấy khó khăć phục nhất? Câu hỏi 4: Bạn làm để cải thiên kỹ năng giao tiếp tiếng Anh bằng miêng mình? 55 ... grammatical and pronunciation errors 2.5.3 Lack of professional environment to speak It is essential to have a professional environment to practice English Hyland in the survey “Asian Journal of. .. communication skills was implemented by Panida Karachedee, Faculty of Education, Burapha University: " Need analysis for English communication skills of employees at HSBC in Thailand" ( January... questions - What is the attitude of first-year students of English Faculty at TMU towards the oral English communication skills? - What are the common errors that the freshmen of English Faculty at